Agni-V launch soon: DRDO

Chandigarh: Agni-V, the 5,000-km version of
the nuclear capable missile, is in the final phase of testing
and is soon set for launch, a senior DRDO official said here
on Sunday.

"Agni-V is in the final phase of testing. I cannot
predict the exact date of its launch, but it will be launched
shortly," Chief Controller R and D (Missiles and Strategic
Systems) at DRDO, Avinash Chander, said.

He was addressing a press conference at the Terminal
Ballistics Research Laboratory to mark the conclusion of its
year-long golden jubilee celebrations,
Agni-V, touted as India`s most ambitious strategic
missile, will follow last year`s test of the country`s most
advanced surface-to-surface missile Agni-IV.

The three-stage Agni-V and the two-stage Agni-IV are
poised to add credible deterrence against countries which have
missiles like the 11,200-km Dong Feng-31A, Chander said.
Agni-V will feature Multiple Independently-Targeted
Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs) with each missile being capable of
carrying 3-10 separate warheads.

To a question, Chander said "we have Rs 20,000 crore
worth production orders for Akash missile."
"By 2020, India will be among the leading countries in
the missile development," he said.

Chander said the DRDO was trying to set up an
independent Centre for Directed High Energy Weapons System
which would focus on the use of lasers in weapons system.
On Prahar, he said the 150-km range guided missile was
being put into weaponised mode.

"It is the most cost-effective missile in its class.
Army has shown good interest and we are sure it will get
inducted," Chander said.